They say a watched pot never boils, but with the Boil Buoy ($10), you'll never again have to worry about your gaze stopping the process. This nifty kitchen helper floats in your pot of water, and when the action starts, you'll get a audible alert from the stainless steel chime, letting you know it's time to add your food — which frees you up to do other things, like work on another part of the meal, or simply watch some more football.

Part kitchen staple, part conversation piece, the Bodum New Kenya Tea Press ($30) takes your tea brewing experience to the next level. It starts with a borosilicate glass teapot, which is wrapped in a curved, black plastic frame, continues with a plastic handle, filter, and lid, and is finished off by the stainless steel plunger to stop the action. Just fill with near-boiling water, drop in your favorite loose leaf blend, and watch as the plain H2O becomes a tasty, body-warming tea.

Start your mornings with gusto — sorry, couldn't resist — with the Krups Dolce Gusto Circolo ($150). This museum-worthy single serve beverage machine serves up coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and specialty drinks in a hurry and without fuss, thanks to a 15 bar pump pressure system, a 32-ounce removable water tank, a magnetic capsule holder, and LED lighting to keep you from crashing your cup into the side of the machine in those early morning hours. Available in raging red or way-more-likely-to-match-your-kitchen titanium.

It's hard to imagine trying to improve on the Filson Cruiser. After all, it's been a Filson fixture for over 100 years. But the Filson Long Cruiser Jacket is probably the best update we can think of for this iconic piece of outerwear. Made with the same 24-oz. Mackinaw Wool and pocket design as the original, it's been extended to three-quarter length for extra warmth and protection. This version also has flannel-lined handwarmers, horn buttons, and a vented lower back opening with snap. Upper lining has also been added to the Cruiser to ensure that this classic look keeps you safe from whatever winter throws your way.

Coders, managers, illustrators — whatever your job, odds are you've had to deal with a whiteboard before. Now you can carry one with you with the Wipebook Pro. This full-sized notebook holds 20 8.5" x 11" writeable pages that work just like a normal whiteboard, letting you write, erase, and re-write countless times. Brass binding lets it lay flat, cow-friendly faux leather front and rear covers help when it's time to digitize a page, and unlike the board at work, you can take it home without ever having to worry about an overzealous janitor "cleaning" away your valuable notes.

Give your steak knives a presentation worthy of your cooking with the Tilt Knife Block ($60). Handmade from solid walnut with a Canadian Maple inlay for a splash of contrast, the block holds up to six knives at an angle, and features a natural beeswax and orange oil finish for added color. Looks best in clean, modern kitchens, but isn't so extreme that it can't fit in to more traditional settings.

Keep your drinking water free of bacteria, viruses, and other nasties with the Restore Clean Water System ($70). This Brita-killer combines traditional filtration that reduces heavy metals, chlorine, and pollutants, with Ultraviolet Clean Technology that 99.9999% of bacteria, viruses, and microbial cysts, leaving you with nothing but pure, clean, and safe water without the carbon guilt that comes with drinking bottled water. They sent us one to try, and it works great. Not sure how it will handle these guys.